


Little Sure Shot

by Bootsncatz (bootsncatz)



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: AU, F/F, Fluff, One Shot, annie get your gun au, prompt, so fluff, vaguely
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-12
Updated: 2017-10-12
Packaged: 2019-01-16 07:18:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12338076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bootsncatz/pseuds/Bootsncatz
Summary: Nicole has always been the best competition shooter. Then Waverly waltzes in and turns everything on it's head for her. One shot. Based on the movie "Annie Get Your Gun".





	Little Sure Shot

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you @Earperdemic for the awesome prompt! I hope I did your idea justice. You can yell at me on twitter (@bootsncatz) or tumblr (bootz-n-catz) for ruining your love of fanfiction and/or Wayhaught.

Waverly took a deep breath in, eyes steady as she focused on the target ahead. The metal under her fingers was cold still, the winter air making it hard. Her finger tensed on the trigger, the metal cutting into her skin with a sting that she had become familiar with over the decades of shooting.

Her father taught Willa and Wynonna to shoot. But Waverly, six years their junior, had never been allowed to touch a gun. Until Wynonna had taken her out to teach her. Waverly would sit on the fence for hours while Ward ran his oldest daughters through the ringer with drills and lessons. Willa had been a natural, Wynonna was less of a natural which made her more resistant to the sport. She had always been resistant to people telling her what to do, and this was no different. Still, she could shoot decently. 

Waverly would constantly bother their daddy about letting her learn to shoot, but Ward always said no. When she was five, Wynonna took her out to the edge of the property and handed her a gun.

“Shoot,” the eleven year old said, “Just point at the can and shoot it off.”

Six year old Waverly gave her a dubious look and tried to pretend the handgun wasn’t bordering on too heavy for her. “I think there’s more than that, Wy.”

“Smart mouth,” Wynonna said pushing her a little bit, “Just point and shoot. That’s the basics.”

Waverly held the handgun with pudgy hands, trying to copy the stance she watched her Daddy do. Lifting the handgun at eye length, she squeezed one eye shut, looked down the sight and shot. 

The power of the bullet leaving the barrel almost knocked her onto her butt, but the sound of metal against metal as the can flew off the fence gave Waverly a rush she’d never get over. Wynonna would train her as best she could when their Daddy was away or so drunk that he didn’t hear the shots happening on the far end of his property. Willa hated that Wynonna was teaching Waverly. But she had always been a bitch that way.

She would torture Waverly, sometimes within what felt like an inch of her life. The only time Willa and Wynonna ever had a fist fight was when Willa made Waverly run out on thin ice and she fell in the river. After Wynonna pulled her out and made sure she was okay, she punched Willa and gave her a black eye. Wynonna got away with only a split lip.

At their funeral, Waverly would pretend to cry. But she remembered how her Daddy had beat on Wynonna and Willa beat on her, and she didn’t care much. She had her favorite big sister and she would always protect her.

Curtis and Gus took them in. While Gus didn’t particularly like how Waverly was so keen on shooting, Curtis encouraged it. He saw a natural talent in her. Wynonna swore it off as soon as she could, choosing to sit on the fence and watch Curtis and Waverly instead.

Now she was an expert. At least she considered herself so. Twenty-one and able to hit a bird blindfolded, as Curtis would say.

Today she was out practicing her trick shooting. Wynonna standing at the end of the shooting range with a playing card in her hand.

“You better not fucking shoot me again!” she shouted to her sister too loudly, the headphones on her ears making her compensate too much.

“That was once, Wynonna!” Waverly said under her breath. She took another breath, exhaling and lining up her shot before pulling the trigger. Wynonna blinked and looked at the card in her hand, examining it.

“Goddamn, baby girl,” Wynonna said as she took the headphones off, “Shot the heart right out of the middle.” She held up the card to show her sister, but Waverly was too far away to see the small hole in the middle of it. 

Wynonna threw her a thumbs up and Waverly gave her a big smile back. “Now put it in your mouth!”

“If I had a dollar every time I heard that,” Wynonna said chuckling at her own cleverness as she slipped her headphones back on. If Waverly wasn't several yards away, she would punch her arm. 

“Just put it between your teeth!”

“You're no fun,” Wynonna whined before sticking the card between her teeth and standing profile. The thin profile of the card gave off the barest glint in the sun. Waverly lifted her rifle to the eye, stock against her shoulder. Blink. Deep breath. Exhale. And-

She pulled the trigger, breath still held as she lowered the rifle. Wynonna pulled the card from between her teeth, throwing her head back in laughter as she held up the card. It was cut width rise, straight through the center. 

“Woo! You're so lucky I love you, baby girl,” she said walked back towards Waverly, headphones back around her neck, “I'd never let anyone get that close to the money maker with a bullet.” She gestured vaguely to her face and held the card up between her fingers. Waverly snatched it away with a triumphant smile. She ran her finger along the rough edge made by the bullet and smiled proudly.  
Wynonna rolled her eyes despite the proud smile on her face and looked her arm around Waverly’s neck. “Come on, loser, let’s go get some drinks. Mama’s thirsty.”

***

They walked into Shorty’s and Gus looked up from behind the counter. She paused as she wiped it down and pointed at Waverly who still had her rifle slung over her shoulder.

“Hey!” Gus said walking around the counter and up to the girls, “What have I told you about bringing that thing in here?” She used the damp rag that she was wiping the counter with to slap Waverly’s arm. “Leave that over by the door if you’re gonna bring it in here.”

Wynonna checked Waverly with her hip so that she could stand fully in front of the older woman. “Gus,” Wynonna said with a smile, “It’s Waverly, the golden child. She’s only shot me once and we all know she’s had opportunity and motive for more than that. It’s safer with her then by the door where anyone can grab it.”

Gus frowned but seemed the bend under Wynonna’s logic. She slapped both of their arms with the rag. “Don’t let it out of your sight and don’t you dare let me see you aiming it at anything.”

“Thank you, Gus,” Waverly said with a smile. Wynonna grabbed her wrist and pulled her over to a table. She pushed her into the chair before walking behind the counter to pour them drinks.

Waverly took her rifle off of her shoulder and leaned it against the table just as Curtis sat across from her. He silently slid a flier over to her and she squinted at him. “What’s this?”

Curtis shrugged, but the excited look in his eyes gave him away. “A shooting contest.”

The youngest Earp shook her head and looked down at the paper. At least the design was a little classier than the other ones he usually tried to get her to pay attention to. This one lacked the neon paper stock and typical obnoxious word art she was used to. It looked like someone had actually spent more than five minutes on this flier. 

Shooting Contest!  
Compete against the world’s greatest trick shot, Nicole Haught.  
Win $5,000!

There was a picture of an attractive woman with short red hair on the bottom, fancy rifle slung over the back of her shoulders and a cocky smile on her face. Waverly found herself staring at the picture a little too long and blushed, looking back up at Curtis.

“I don’t know,” she said trailing off and handing the flier back to Curtis, “You know I don’t like doing these things.”

Wynonna set a whiskey and coke in front of Waverly and a straight whiskey in front of herself. She spun her chair and sat backwards on it, snatching the flier from Curtis’ hand. “Holy shit, Waves,” Wynonna said shoving the flier in her face, “Five grand!”

Waverly took the flier from Wynonna and put it back on the table. “I’m not doing it.” She took a sip from her glass, letting the alcohol burn on the way down as Wynonna looked at Curtis incredulously. 

He shrugged. “I tried.” 

Wynonna turned back to Waverly with a shake of her head as she took a long sip of her own drink. “You disappoint me. You know what we could do with five grand?”

“You mean what I could?” Waverly said raising an eyebrow, “My shooting, my money.”

“I taught you everything you know,” Wynonna scoffed, “You’d be nowhere without me.”

She opened her mouth to respond when the door opening caught her eye. She looked up and saw a familiar head of red hair walk through the door and felt her mouth dry up. Nicole Haught walked through the door of Shorty’s, black brimmed hat tipped back on her head. Her hands were on her belt and she looked around for a moment before walking up to the bar.

“Speak of the devil,” Wynonna said not bothering to hide her staring, “It’s like she thinks she’s some kinda cowgirl or something.”

Nicole ordered then turned her back to the bar, elbows leaning on the counter as she looked around. Her eyes landed on Waverly and the brunette quickly looked away with a blush. She was...a lot prettier in person. Waverly picked up her drink again, rattling the ice a little before taking another drink.

“You could totally beat that tool,” Wynonna said with a roll of her eyes. Waverly noticed brown eyes turn towards their table and she kicked her sister under the table, quickly dodging the retaliation kick she knew was coming her way. 

“Girls,” Curtis said with a sigh, “please behave. You're supposed to be adults.”

Waverly opened her mouth to argue but a soft voice by her side distracted. 

“Hey.”

She looked up and saw Nicole standing next to their table, hands still on her belt. She smiled weakly, struggling to get her voice to work. “H-hey.”

Wynonna raised an eyebrow at Waverly's voice crack. She decided ignoring her big sister was probably the best way to handle that. Nicole smiled at her and Waverly’s heart fluttered a little. She licked her lips nervously as the red head talked. 

“You shoot?” she asked Waverly, pointing to the rifle leaning against the table. 

Waverly just blinked at her and looked down at her rifle like she couldn't even remember what it was used for. 

“Our Waverly here is the surest shot around,” Curtis said clapping her shoulder proudly. Waverly smiled shyly and shrugged. 

“Are you gonna compete?” Nicole asked pointing to the flier.

Wynonna squinted at her suspiciously. “Why do you want to know?”

Nicole looked at the older Earp for the first time and shrugged before looking back at Waverly. “I might have a little skin in the game,” she said with a wink. 

Waverly chuckled nervously and played with the ends of her hair. The heavy wooden door of Shorty’s practically banged open and everyone looked up. A shorter man with white hair and a moustache looked around before his eyes landed on Nicole. 

“I should have known I'd find you where the booze and girls were,” he said gruffly. He acknowledged their table with a short nod. 

Nicole pushed away from the table by the tips of her fingers and grabbed the shot Gus had poured for her from the bar. She tipped it back into her mouth and Waverly definitely was not watching her throat flex as Nicole took the shot. 

“Nedley,” Nicole acknowledged the man at the door before putting a bill on the bar. She spoke to Gus then, “For mine and for Little Sure Shot over there.” She winked at Waverly and the brunette was pretty sure her heart stopped. 

“Come on, you got that luncheon,” Nedley said rolling his eyes. 

“I recall. Why do you think I was drinking?” she said walking away from the bar, eyes back on Waverly, “See you at the competition?”

Waverly just nodded wordlessly, even after the door closed and Nicole was gone. She let out a soft breath, jumping when Wynonna kicked her foot. “Hey!”

“That was payback for you kicking me!” Wynonna said finishing off her drink, “And also for being all starry eyed over that cowgirl.”

Waverly blushed, “She bought me a drink.”

“You drink for free here!”

“So?”

Curtis sighed in exasperation but ignored the sister’s bickering. “Does this mean you're gonna join the competition?”

Waverly gave herself away with a blush. Wynonna rolled her eyes so hard Waverly was surprised they didn't roll out of her head. 

***

“Don't be nervous now,” Curtis said wiping sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. The fairgrounds had a special arena set up for the competition. It was more of a show then Waverly had initially thought. Nicole was going to show off some of her tricks before the competition. They say on the sidelines in some of the front benches set aside for the competitors. Waverly looked around but didn't see anyone familiar. 

Wynonna kept her sunglasses on and arms crossed as she checked out the competition. They had given Waverly a big number five to pin on her back and she leaned back against the wall, wrinkling it. Waverly just sat watching the dirt arena, waiting for Nicole to make her appearance. She held her rifle loosely between her legs, fingernail running over a knick in the barrel. It caught in it, her nail bending back a little. She hissed in pain and shook her hand. 

“Hey hey, careful with the merchandise,” Wynonna said taking Waverly’s hand to examine it. She would have pulled her hand away but was distracted when some loud music started in the arena. It was music like you’d expect to hear in some kind of old Western movie, all fiddle and guitar. A group of horses came shooting out of the backstage, being ridden by men in matching black outfits with red bandanas tied around their mouths. They hollered and ran in a group together along the perimeter of the dirt stadium. 

An announcer came over the intercom and said, “And now, the one who always saves the day, Nicole Haught!”

Waverly watched in rapt fascination as Nicole shot out of the backstage area on a horse, wearing a 1950’s style cowboy shirt with matching pants and hat. She looked...surprisingly good in it. Well, maybe not so surprising. Waverly suspected she could be in a potato sack and be just as pretty. She looked down at her old jeans and crop top she had thrown on that morning, wishing she had thought to dress maybe a little nicer. She felt her braid to make sure it all felt in place as Nicole rode her horse into the middle of the arena. She aimed her rifle at the group that was riding around the arena and began to shoot the hats off their heads, cleanly and easily. The crowd went crazy, yelling and cheering.

Wynonna scoffed, “Trick shooting. Just a bunch of show really, you could do that too.” 

Waverly just looked down at her rifle and wished she had shined it up or something. The show went on a little longer, mostly just Nicole shooting things off people’s heads or while she was on the back of a horse. Her skills didn’t intimidate Waverly at all, but her face did. Once between her shots, Nicole made eye contact with her and smiled. Waverly nearly choked on nothing.

“And now,” the announcer said as people came out to clear the arena and drag in a clay pigeon machine, “Five competitors will take on Haught. Winner will walk away with a five thousand dollar prize.”

The crowd cheered again and the other competitors began to stand up. Wynonna pushed her so she was standing and she took a deep breath before standing on a line they had put down in the sand. She made sure to stand as far away from Nicole as possible, remaining on the opposite end of her.

“The competitors will shoot at clay pigeons, increasing in number until they miss. If you miss, you’re out!” The crowd cheered as the announcer spoke and Waverly rolled her shoulders in preparation.

“Yeah, Waves!” Wynonna yelled from the sidelines, Curtis hollering next to her. They went down the line, shooting one pigeon each. When it was Waverly’s turn, she lifted her rifle to her shoulder and looked through the sight, shooting the clay pigeon with ease. Wynonna and Curtis cheered like she’d actually done something impressive. The other competitors began to fall off until just Nicole and Waverly were left. They were up to five pigeons at once. Waverly dispatched all five quickly and with ease, all her nerves gone.

When she got into the zone with her shooting, it was easy to forget everything else. She had completely forgotten the crowd or Nicole standing next to her. All she was focused on was getting the targets. Nicole shot the five targets with as much ease and turned to look at her competitor.

“Hey, Little Sure Shot,” she said quietly so that only Waverly could hear, “Good to see you again. Want to up the competition a little?” She raised an eyebrow at Waverly. The brunette licked her lips and nodded curtly, trying not to let herself get too distracted but the dimples in Nicole’s cheeks. Nicole turned around, her back facing the pigeon machine and rifle resting on her shoulder. She nodded towards the kid activating the machine and he sent two birds up into the air. Standing backwards and looking over her shoulder, Nicole shot the two birds out of the air. The crowd went wild and Waverly couldn’t help but smirk at her.

“You think you’re so cool,” Waverly teased as she copied her position. She turned around and rested her rifle on her shoulder, nodding at the target shooter. He let them fly and she shot them out of the air, looking over her shoulder. Nicole chuckled and nodded, tongue poking the side of her cheek. Waverly smiled at her. “Intimidated?”

“Nope,” Nicole said calling the assistant over again. He handed her a mirror and she remained turned around before yelling, “Pull!” 

Looking in the mirror, she aimed and hit the two pigeons to a loud roar of applause. Waverly sighed and plucked the mirror from Nicole’s hand, adjusting her position. “Pull!”

She shot the two pigeons, aiming through the mirror. Wynonna hollered louder than Waverly ever heard her yell and she rolled her eyes. She looked over at Nicole who was still smiling but looked much less amused than when they had first started. Nicole rolled her shoulders and took a second rifle that the assistant handed her. She balanced both on her hips and took a deep breath. “Pull!”

Both pigeons were gone in a cloud of dust, the crowd going wild again. Waverly smirked and took the second gun that the assistant handed her. She held them both under her arms, widening her stance. “Pull!”

In another cloud of colored powder, the pigeons were gone. Waverly’s chest swelled with the loud applause from the crowd and she looked at them for the first time. It was actually a lot more people than she had been expecting. She raised one rifle in the air and the crowd yelled even louder.

Nicole placed one rifle on each shoulder and turned around, her assistant holding up the mirror for her to aim. “Pull!”

Two shots rang out in the air, but only one clay pigeon exploded. 

Nicole had missed.

There was still a smattering of applause. Waverly heard her curse under her breath and Nicole handed both rifles to the assistant who put them both on a stand. The assistant held the mirror up for Waverly the same way and she focused, both guns on her shoulders. “Pull!” 

She watched the dots of the pigeons fly up in the reflection and she squeezed the triggers, her breath held until she saw two little puffs indicating both had been hit.

“And it looks like competitor number five wins!” 

The crowd cheered and WAverly handed the extra rifle to the assistant. She could see Wynonna and Curtis standing in their seats and cheering. She turned to Nicole who smiled tightly at her and shook her hand.

“Good job,” Waverly said with a small smile, her heart fluttering at the hand contact, no matter how brief.

Nicole’s smile widened just a little. “You got lucky, kid.”

Waverly blinked at her for a moment, gripping Nicole’s hand tighter when she tried to pull away. A small seed of anger was planted in her chest. “Excuse me?”

The red head smiled wider, almost like she knew that it would upset Waverly even more. “You got lucky.”

“I could outshoot you anyday, Fancy Pants,” Waverly said tightening her grip on Nicole’s hand.

“Fancy Pants?” Nicole chuckled with a raise of her eyebrow.

Waverly nodded and crossed her arms over her chest. Nicole looped her fingers over her belt buckle and they just stared at each other for a moment. “I’ll prove it. Let’s do this again. Double or nothing.”

Nicole shook her head, looking amused. “Really? You want to do this again? Why don’t you just take your money and be happy?”

“Are you afraid of getting beat again?” Waverly challenged.

“No,” Nicole scoffed.

“Then what’s the problem?”

Nedley, Curtis and Wynonna had wandered out to them by this point, Nedley besides Nicole with Curtis and Wynonna behind the brunette. 

“What’s going on here?” Nedley sighed.

“I’m challenging Nicole to a second match. Double or nothing, but she’s too scared to accept,” Waverly said, the edges of her mouth curling in a smile. 

Nicole rolled her eyes. “I just don’t want you to embarrass yourself.”

Wynonna made a move towards the red head, but Waverly stuck out her arm to stop her just in time. Curtis scratched the back of his neck. “I hate to say it, Ms. Haught, but I did say that our Waverly here was the best shot around.”

Nedley chuckled, “And with all due respect, Haught here is the best shot in the world.”

“Maybe not after being beat by my little sister,” Wynonna said raising an eyebrow.

Nicole stepped between everyone, hands up asking for everyone to stop talking. “Okay, listen, “I’ll take the bet. Okay?” Her eyes were on Waverly and the brunette couldn’t help but stare hopelessly with a small nod. “Next week. You name the time and place.”

“Deal,” Waverly said with a triumphant smile, “Let me know if you need any shooting lessons before then.”

Waverly turned on her heel, throwing a wink over her shoulder at Nicole before putting her rifle on her shoulder and walking away. She let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding and hoped she looked way more confident than she felt.

***

Waverly had all her usual targets lined up on the fence and she was shooting them one by one easily. She hardly even had to look at this point with the easy targets. It’s like her muscles knew these things by heart. She had been coming to this little fenced off area since Wynonna was trying to teach her to shoot. She heard the crunching of the grass behind her and assumed it was Wynonna.

“I’m thinking of shooting a cigarette from your mouth,” Waverly said lowering her gun.

“I’d rather you didn’t, Little Sure Shot,” came Nicole’s voice from behind her.

Waverly spun around quickly on her heels, almost losing her balance. It was more then a surprise to see Nicole standing behind her, hands on her belt per usual. The sight of the other woman still made Waverly blush. She wondered how many girls she had that effect on. Probably more than enough.

“Nicole,” Waverly said with a nod, leaning on her rifle.

“Ms. Earp,” Nicole said tilting her brimmed hat in Waverly’s direction. She tilted her chin over towards the targets. “Seems a bit amauter for you.”

“I was just warming up,” Waverly said with a shrug, wandering closer to the taller woman, “And you can call me Waverly. Unless you prefer I call you Ms. Haught.”

Nicole chuckled and leaned with her elbows against the fence, “That won’t be necessary, Waverly.”

They just looked at each other for a moment, a small smile lifting Waverly’s lips as she looked into brown eyes. She realized she was staring and cleared her throat, looking past Nicole to the Homestead instead. “What can I-...why are you here? Not that I mind but-...” Waverly pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, “Wynonna might actually kill you if she thought you were spying on me.”

“I didn’t come to spy,” Nicole said, “I don’t need to.”

Waverly rolled her eyes but kept walking towards Nicole anyways. It was like she was some sort of magnet that Waverly couldn’t resist. It was the worst. “You’re reaaaaal confident about yourself huh? For someone who’s already lost once.”

Nicole lifted her hat from her head and ran a hand through her hair. She looked at the ground as she placed the hat back on her head. Waverly knew she'd hit...come kind of nerve. Nicole rubbed the back of her neck and looked back up at Waverly with a strained smile. “We shouldn't be talking about the competition.”

Waverly shrugged as she leaned on the opposite side of the gate next to Nicole. “Fine. No competition talk.”

“Thank you,” Nicole said smiling again in that way that made Waverly blush. 

“You never answered why you were here,” Waverly said taking in Nicole’s much more casual appearance. She was wearing a casual buttoned up shirt with some jeans. Waverly smoothed out the front of her shirt. 

“I just wanted to say hi,” Nicole said with a shrug, “Maybe...I also wanted to tell you your shooting stance is a little off.” Waverly shot her a look and Nicole held up her hands in surrender. “Hey, you don't have to take my advice, it's just something I noticed.”

Waverly licked her lips and really took a look at Nicole. She seemed genuine, not like she was trying to be rude or manipulative in anyway. It was...she was charming. It was really unfortunate how charming she was. She pushed off the fence and held her rifle out to Nicole. “Fine. Show me.”

Nicole smiled widely and hopped over the fence in an impressive show of strength. Waverly couldn't help but giggle when Nicole stumbled on the landing a little. “Shut it,” she said, playfully pushing on Waverly's shoulder, “Now get in your stance.”

Waverly tried to have a serious face as she got in her shooting stance. Nothing happened for a moment and Waverly looked over her shoulder to see Nicole looking decidedly below her waist. Nicole noticed Waverly’s gaze and chuckled nervously with a blush. “Your hips. They're crooked,” she said stepping forward and settling her hands on Waverly's hips. 

Her hands were warm, even through the fabric of Waverly’s shorts. She tried not to think about how gently Nicole was holding her and how nice it was. That would be dumb.

Nicole put a little pressure on one side of her hips to even her out, stepping a little closer so that her front barely touched Waverly’s back. “And then lift this,” Nicole placed a light hand on Waverly’s elbow, lifting it ever so slightly, “Now, breath in.” Nicole’s hand moved over Waverly’s stomach and she nearly had a heartattack. Her trigger hand tensed and she let out a harsh breath through her nose. 

“Relax,” Nicole said softly, her breath tickling the hairs on the back of Waverly’s neck. Waverly blinked a few times and tried not to think about how close Nicole was to her. Really, she could just turn her head and kiss her. Not that she would...maybe. “Now shoot.”

Waverly pulled the trigger and realized she was basically just shooting at air. There were no targets up, she’d already hit them all down. They stayed like that for a few moments, Nicole’s hand warm and gentle on her stomach before she stepped away. “See, your aim and your stance is better.”

“How do you know if my aim is better if I didn’t shoot at anything?” Waverly said frowning over her shoulder at the red head who had the prettiest blush on her cheeks.

“I just know,” Nicole shrugged.

Three quick shots rang out in the air, birds scattering from some of the nearby trees. Waverly rolled her eyes and slung her rifle over her shoulder. 

“What was that?” Nicole asked looking around for the shooter.

“Just Wynonna thinking she’s funny,” Waverly said walking over to Nicole. She pushed on her knee playfully and smiled up at her. Wynonna may be saying it was time for dinner, but Waverly was definitely not ready to say goodbye to Nicole. She was sweet and smelled nice...and had a nice smile. Taking a deep breath, she squinted up at Nicole and asked, “Want to stay for dinner?”

Nicole smiled wider, dimples distracting Waverly as she said, “Sure! As long as you think Wynonna won’t kill me.”

“No promises,” Waverly said as Nicole jumped off the fence to follow her towards the Homestead.

***

Dinner was going relatively well despite Wynonna’s first reaction to Nicole which was to point a gun at her. Waverly told Wynonna she wasn’t allowed to have any guns at dinner anymore. This more than pleased Gus, but Wynonna was very moody about it the whole time. The talk was good, easy. Curtis and Gus asked Nicole a lot of questions, most of them only semi-invasive. So now Waverly knew that Nicole had grown up in a big town where her dad was the sheriff and that she had a younger sister. She left when the pressure about her sexuality had become too much and she hadn’t spoken to her parents since.

They didn’t talk about the competition, thankfully. Waverly kept catching Nicole’s eyes across the table and blushed every time. She wished she was smoother, more charming. Nicole was charming. She was almost positive the couple of times that their feet bumped under the table was not by accident.

Nicole easily charmed Gus, insisting on doing the dishes after they were done eating. Waverly stood next to her at the sink, drying. Their elbows brushed every now and again, making Waverly blush like a schoolgirl. 

“Thank you for having dinner with us,” Waverly said placing the last dish on the rack, “My mismatched family can be a little overwhelming.”

Nicole shrugged, “I think it’s nice.” She turned off the water and took the towel from Waverly to dry her hands, “I’m just glad I got to spend more time with you.” Her sleeves were rolled up past her elbow and her hair was sticking up a little in the back. It was a very different picture from the pressed shirt, done up version of herself that had been at the competition. Waverly liked it. Even if her fingers itched to reach up and smooth her hair.

Waverly blushed and looked down at the dishes, adjusting one unnecessarily with a chuckle. She opened her mouth to say something that she was sure would be embarrassing, but luckily Wynonna knocked on the window in front of the sink. She was standing on the porch, holding up a bottle of whiskey and motioned for the two of them to go outside. “Bring some glasses!” she said, her voice muffled through the glass.

With a sigh, Waverly grabbed three glasses from the cabinet and walked out to the porch, Nicole close behind. Wynonna poured some whiskey in the glasses that Waverly was holding and took one. She handed one to Nicole who took it with a nod. Wynonna drained her glass quickly and poured another two fingers of whiskey for herself before leaning against the porch rail. Nicole leaned next to her and Waverly leaned against the house, looking at the two of them.

“So, Haught Stuff,” Wynonna started. Waverly silently hoped that she just wouldn’t continue, but she knew her sister better than that. “You spent all this time over here just to spy on my sister? How’d you even find us?”

“Wynonna-” Waverly began but Nicole shook her head at her with a small smile.

“I’m not here to spy,” Nicole said taking a sip, “And I found your address on the entry form she turned in. I just...wanted to come by.”

Wynonna squinted at her and Waverly quickly drained her own glass out of nerves more than anything. “Seems suspicious.”

“Why’s that?” Nicole asked with an amused smile.

“You just seem suspicious,” Wynonna said with a slow nod, “I find all of Waverly’s suitors suspicious. So take that as it is.” Waverly choked on air and kicked Wynonna’s foot. “Ow! What the fuck, Waves?”

Waverly huffed and took the bottle from Wynonna’s hand, pouring herself another drink. “Learn when to stop talking, Wy,” Waverly mumbled as she set the bottle on the ground, her cheeks bright red. She chanced a look over at Nicole who was looking at her with a smile. It only made her blush harder.

The older Earp just rolled her eyes dramatically and picked the bottle off the ground, foregoing the glass and drinking straight from it. “Hey, weren’t you supposed to shoot a cigarette from my mouth?”

“Yeah, and you blew me off,” Waverly said looking back at Nicole who still had her eyes trained on her. She blushed impossibly deep, watching the way the red head’s tongue darted over her lips to collect all the alcohol there.

“Then let’s do it now,” Wynonna said taking a cigarette from her pocket and placing it between her lips.

“You’re drunk,” Waverly said feeling the alcohol in her veins. She wasn’t drunk, but she could feel it loosening her limbs.

Wynonna shrugged, “When am I not?”

“I’ll do it,” Nicole said setting her glass down on the rail, “If Little Sure Shot over here doesn’t want to.”

“It’s not that I don’t want to,” Waverly argued as Wynonna fist pumped the air in celebration, “And why are you so excited about getting a cigarette shot out of your mouth?”

“I imagine I can sue Haught Pants over here for all her fancy shirts are worth if she shoots me,” Wynonna said walking onto the front property of the Homestead, far enough away from the house. She stood against the lone tree in the front, handing Nicole the gun from her hip.

Waverly sighed and followed them, glass still in hand. “Nicole, are you sure about this?”

“I know I can do it,” Nicole said feeling the weight of the gun in her hand and practicing her aim as Wynonna stood profile in front of the tree.

“Just don’t shoot my sister,” Waverly said scratching at the back of her neck nervously.

Nicole let the gun fall to her side and held her pinky out to Waverly. “I pinky promise I won’t shoot your sister.” Waverly looked at her hand for a moment before rolling her eyes with a smile. She linked her pinky with Nicole’s and smiled at her, their fingers remaining linked longer than necessary before Nicole dropped her hand. She stood a few yards away, aimed the gun at the cigarette held between Wynonna’s teeth and shot. They all held their breath for a moment before Wynonna took the cigarette from her mouth. Nicole had shot it in half.

“Told you,” Nicole said with a cocky smile. 

Wynonna threw the cigarette at her. It fluttered uselessly to the ground halfway between them. “Waverly, your turn. Up the ante a little, huh? Do something interesting.”

Waverly shrugged and drained the rest of her glass, whiskey burning her throat. “Fine. I’ll one up you, Haught,” she said taking the gun from her. Wynonna put a fresh cigarette between her teeth and assumed the position. Waverly stood with her back towards her and held the whiskey glass up in front of her, using it to reflect her target.

“Waves,” Nicole said cautiously, “Are you...sure?”

“Anything you can do I can do better,” she said with heavy alcohol fueled lips. Nicole scoffed and crossed her arms in front of her chest as Waverly aimed over her shoulder and shot. Wynonna took the small nub of the cigarette that was left from her mouth and held it up triumphantly.

“Damn, baby girl!” she said holding up the small piece, “That was right against my lips.”

Waverly looked at Nicole who was just standing with her arms crossed tight in front of her chest. She looked down at her boots for a moment before nodding. “I’m gonna go.”

The brunette blinked at her as she turned around, confused as to what just happened. She jogged up to the retreating woman and reached for her arm. Nicole shrugged her off as soon as Waverly touched her and she recoiled, hurt. 

“What’s your problem?” Waverly asked tucking the gun in the back of her pants. 

“Nothing, I just have to go,” Nicole said shortly, “I’ll see you at the competition. Yeah?” She gave her a tight smile and curt nod, signalling Waverly to stop following her. Waverly stopped in her tracks and watched her retreating back as Nicole walked down the long road back into town. A ball of anxiety and hurt settling in her chest. She stood staring at the spot where Nicole disappeared for a moment and it turned into anger.

“You’re a stubborn dumbass!” she shouted into nothing before turning on her heels and walking back to the house.

***

“Hey, Little Sure Shot.”

Waverly hated that her heart jumped a little at the voice and she looked up from the table she was wiping, fixing Nicole with the best neutral look she could. “Can I help you?”

Nicole looked at her sheepishly, sliding into the bar stool with her hands folded on the table in front of her. “I came to see if you would let me take you out tonight,” Nicole said with a small smile.

With a scoff, Waverly picked up some boxes and began to walk towards Shorty’s storage room. “Yeah, okay,” she said, “You just storm off and now you want to take me out.”

Nicole scrambled off her stool and followed Waverly. “I’m really sorry, if that makes you feel better?”

Waverly kicked open the door to the storage room and let it hit Nicole as it swung back shut. 

“Ow! Waverly, please,” Nicole pleaded as Waverly put the boxes down, “I know, I'm a...what'd you call me? A stubborn dumbass?”

Waverly blushed and opened one of the boxes. She began to angrily stack the pickle jars on the shelf as she spoke. “I'll go out with you if you give me one good reason.”

Nicole stepped forward and stopped Waverly's hands as she picked up another jar. She covered her hands with her own and looked down at the shorter woman. Waverly’s stomach clenched at the contact but she looked up, attempting to appear unphased by the soft hands covering her own. 

“You should let me take you out,” Nicole began, eyes soft, “because you're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen and I might actually die if you don't let me.”

Waverly's cheeks flushed a deep red and she looked down at the pickle jar they were holding together. She rolled her eyes playfully as she tried to think about something other then how soft and warm Nicole’s hands were over hers. “That’s a bit dramatic, don’t you think?”

Nicole’s face lit up and she smiled, Waverly’s heart fluttering. “Is that a yes?” she asked hopefully.

Waverly looked at her for a moment stoned face before she let a smile creep onto her lips. “Yes. I’ll go out with you tonight. On one condition.”

The red head smiled impossibly wide, “Anything.”

“No guns.”

“Why would I bring a gun to the fair?”

“Just promise me.”

“I promise.”

Waverly nodded and returned the smile. “Then it’s a date.”

Nicole took the pickle jar from Waverly and set it on the shelf before taking her hand and kissing the back of it. It felt like Waverly’s entire body was on fire just from the brief contact. Nicole held her hand between them as she straightened up. 

“So, I’ll pick you up at seven?”

Waverly could only nod as Nicole dropped her hand, tipped her hat at the brunette and slipped out of the storage room.

***

Even though they were barely into the date, it was still the best one Waverly had ever been on. Nicole picked her up at the Homestead, all neatly pressed sans hat. Waverly was thankful she had the foresight to get dressed up this time instead of her usually thrown on clothes. She actually threw on a skirt and cute top, letting her hair hang loose around her shoulders. It was enough to make Wynonna roll her eyes when she came down the stairs.

They were strolling through the livestock area when Nicole laced their fingers together for the first time. Waverly pretended her smile was so wide because a baby goat had just jumped over another baby goat and definitely not because they were holding hands. She hoped her hand wasn’t clammy...she wished that she had wiped it on her skirt before Nicole had taken it. 

When she was in high school, Champ had taken her to the fair as a date and laughed when one of his football buddies was messing around and knocked her into a cow pie. Champ just laughed. This was far far better then that.

They were walking through the rides, still hand in hand when Nicole stopped in front of a fun house. “Wanna try this?” she asked squeezing Waverly’s hand.

“Sure,” she said gripping Nicole’s forearm with her other hand. Honestly, Nicole could ask her to do anything right now and Waverly would say yes. As long as she kept holding her hand that way.

Nicole gave their tickets to the bored looking teenager at the booth and they stepped into the funhouse. It started with the hall of mirrors. Waverly made Nicole go in front of her so she wouldn’t embarrass herself by running into a mirror. Nicole rolled her eyes but tugged her along behind, hand in front of her so that they wouldn’t smash into one. 

They both laughed as they emerged from it and went up the loud metal stairs that led to the top level. The spinning tunnel was next and Nicole took the lead again. Waverly kept her eyes trained on her back and not the brightly colored tunnel spinning around them. In the middle of the bridge, Nicole stopped abruptly and Waverly ran into her back with a squeak. Nicole turned and placed her hands on the rail on either side of the tunnel, effectively making it so Waverly couldn’t squeeze past her. She had a small smile on her face and Waverly looked up at her with a blush. Their faces were fairly close and she could see every freckle on Nicole’s cheeks, even in the low lighting.

“Sorry, I’m going to need payment for you to pass,” Nicole said with a smirk. 

Waverly felt her stomach flutter and she looked up at the red head, fingers finding the bottom edge of her jacket and twisting in the fabric. “And what kind of payment would that be?”

Nicole’s smile got wider, a blush tinting her cheeks as her eyes darted down to Waverly’s lips. The brunette felt like her whole body was set aflame just at the look and she licked her lips in anticipation. 

“I’m sure you can think of something,” Nicole said. Waverly’s fingers inched up the front of Nicole’s jacket zipper, counting the teeth nervously as she went. 

“Maybe,” Waverly said with a small shrug. She finally reached the collar of Nicole’s jacket and looked up into brown eyes before tugging her forward and connecting their lips. The kiss started off soft, chills tripping over Waverly’s spine like cold water, heart pounding in her ears. Nicole’s hands found Waverly’s hips and she let her lips press more insistently against the shorter woman’s.

Waverly sighed into the kiss, her arms looping around Nicole’s neck as she felt her tongue flit along the seam of her lips. She opened her mouth and let her tongue curl with Nicole’s for a moment before someone cleared their throat behind them. She pulled away with a blush and looked over her shoulder where a group of preteens were staring at them. Probably a little upset that they were blocking their way.

“Sorry,” Waverly said pushing Nicole’s back against the rail and flattening herself against her so that they could pass. They shuffled past them awkwardly and Waverly pressed her face into Nicole’s chest to suppress her giggles. Nicole wrapped her arms around Waverly’s body and chuckled into her hair. She kissed the top of her head and laced their fingers together again.

“Come on.”

Waverly pulled them into the “haunted house” ride next. Partly because it was one of her favorites but mostly because she knew it was three minutes of dark alone time. Which she took full advantage of by cupping Nicole’s face and connecting their lips as soon as they had turned the corner where they boarded and all the lights went out. That’s also why she made them get on the ferris wheel. There was a pretty view at the top, but both of them were too occupied with each other to be bothered with that. 

They were wandering through the games, the Carney’s yelling at them from their respective booths. Waverly still held Nicole’s hand, holding her arm to her chest as they walked. 

“Hey!” a kid called from a shooting booth, “Aren’t you that Nicole Haught I’ve seen on the fliers around town?”

Nicole stopped and shrugged. “Maybe.”

“Why don’t you try this here? Should be easy for you,” he said pointing to his game. There were pellet guns set up and a target at the end with a black star in the middle. “Just punch out the star and you get a prize for your girl.”

“Um, it’s fine,” Nicole said shifting awkwardly on her feet.

Waverly tugged on her arm and looked up at her. “Just try it. It’s just a dumb game,” she said with a shrug, “Could be fun.”

“Fine,” Nicole said kissing Waverly’s forehead before approaching the booth. He gave the guy her tickets and picked up the light rifle, testing the weight in her hands before testing the aim on the sight. “All right, go ahead.”

The guy flipped a switch and a whirring sound began as the gun turned on. Nicole shot a quick burst of pellets into the target until it turned off again. She cursed and set the gun back down on the counter. The guy walked over to the target and pulled it down, pointing at one small corner of the star that hadn’t been shot out.

“Close,” he said with a shrug before nodding towards Waverly, “What about you?” Waverly froze and laced her fingers with Nicole’s again. 

Nicole nudged her, “You should try it.”

Waverly was torn. She wanted to try. She was sure the whole thing was a scam anyways, probably impossible to win like all the other games here. But shooting with Nicole never ended well.

The Carney held the gun out to her and Nicole put a hand on the small of her back, inching her forward. Nicole put a few more tickets on the counter and Waverly rolled her shoulders. “Fine fine.”

Nicole kissed her temple as she held the gun up to look through the sight. The guy flipped the switch and the gun whirred to life again. Waverly aimed on the edges of the star and shot. Waverly set the gun down as soon as it stopped, anxious to see what the results were. The guy pulled down the target and examined it before sliding it over to Waverly.

“Congrats!” he said taking a teddy bear down from the wall and putting it on top of the perfectly shot out target.

Waverly smiled at him and took it awkwardly, turning to look at Nicole. “Those things are all rigged,” Waverly said with a shrug, despite the pride swelling in her chest. 

Nicole smiled tightly at her and pushed brown hair behind her ear. “It’s okay to be proud, Little Sure Shot.”

The brunette leaned into Nicole’s touch, her chest expanding at the nickname. Nicole leaned down and pecked her lips, Waverly chasing them for a moment before a final feeling kiss was placed on her forehead.

Nicole put her arm over Waverly’s shoulders as they walked away from the both. “Sorry to cut this night short,” Nicole started, “But I have to get up early tomorrow. Nedley has me doing a thing.”

Waverly nodded and laced her fingers in the hand that was hanging over her shoulder, teddy bear clutched tightly to her body. They didn’t talk much as they walked back to Nicole’s car, but she still held the car door open for her and kissed her lightly after she got in. Waverly could feel the tension coming off of the red head and fiddled with the edge of her skirt as they drove. After a few moments, Nicole reached over and placed a hand on Waverly’s thigh. She took some comfort in it, covering the hand with her own. It was silent until Waverly finally spoke up.

“Are you mad at me?”

Nicole blinked and looked over at her briefly before turning back towards the road, “No.”

Waverly ran the tips of her fingers over Nicole’s, feeling every bump of her knuckles as she went. “Are you sure?”

Nicole sighed and squeezed Waverly’s thigh before pulling her hand away. “I’m not mad at you.”

“But?” Waverly said sitting on her hands to try not to think about how she missed Nicole’s touch.

“This has been my thing my whole life,” Nicole began, “When I needed to get away from home, I went to Nedley and he taught me to shoot. When my dad kicked me out, he took me in and made me who I am today. This has always been the one thing I’m good at, and I’ve always been...the best.”

Waverly bristled a little and looked straight ahead at the road. “And now you’re threatened because there’s someone better then you.”

Nicole scoffed, “I wouldn’t say...better.”

“Then what would you say?” Waverly asked curtly, “I’ve beat you every time.”

“You didn’t-” Nicole’s grip on the steering wheel tightened as she breathed harshly through her nose. “You’re good. I get it. But it really feels like you can’t go a day without showing me up.”

“I’m not _showing you up,_ ” Waverly said turning to face Nicole as best she could, “You’re just a whiny child who can’t stand being beat.”

Nicole sat straighter in her seat and pressed on the gas a little harder. “I’m not a whiny child,” she said evenly, “I just don’t understand why you have to constantly prove you’re better than me.”

“So you admit I’m better then you?”

“No! I-” she paused as they pulled up in front of the Homestead, “I’m just saying, I wish you’d stop trying to one up me all the time.”

“I’m not going to suck just to make you feel better,” Waverly said.

“I’m not asking you to!” Nicole said running a hand through her hair, “God, Waverly, stop being such a-”

Nicole stopped herself but Waverly could fill in the blanks. “Whatever, Nicole,” she said opening the car door angrily. She pushed it open with such force that it bounced back and almost closed again before she stopped it. “I’ll see you in a few days when I beat you. Again.” She got out of the car and slammed the door shut behind her.

“Waverly!” Nicole shouted as the other woman stomped into the house. Waverly ignored her, teddy bear still clutched in her hand. She threw it at Wynonna who was passed out on the couch before going up to her room. She threw herself on the bed and tried not to think about how Nicole’s lips felt against her. Instead she thought about all the ways she would be her in the competition.

***

Three days later and Waverly had run the night at the fair through her head a thousand times. She had said some pretty awful things to Nicole, but she had said some things too. For a night that had started out so wonderfully, it really turned sour quickly. 

Waverly tried to stay mad at Nicole. Every time she went out to practice her shooting she would imagine her. She would start mad, but quickly she’d just start to think of how it felt to kiss her and hold her hand. She thought about the way her heart fluttered when she smiled at her. She told herself a thousand times over that she would get over her. She was just a girl. Who knew if she was even going to stay around Purgatory after their competition. But her heart ached every time she thought of her and she missed her. And she had it bad. 

Wynonna told her Nicole was an idiot that didn’t deserve her. But to be fair, Wyonnna said that about everybody. Waverly came to a decision on the way to the competition that day. Something she hadn’t told her sister or Curtis. She knew they would talk her out of it.

The arena was set up in the same hoopla as it was the first time, except this time she was the only competitor. She made the excuse of going to look for the bathroom and managed to duck behind the curtain that led to the backstage area. She ducked and weaved through the guys dressed in their all black uniforms, the ones whose hats Nicole shot off. She finally found where the horses were lined up, waiting to take the arena. Waverly saw a tall figure in a cowboy hat that matched her shirt and her heart leapt.

She jogged up to her. “Nicole?”

The red head turned around and Waverly immediately leapt into her arms. Nicole caught her around the waist and Waverly’s arms looped around her neck. She kissed her hard, the force knocking the hat off of Nicole’s head. They kissed desperately, open mouths and hands gripping each other like their lives depended on it. They pulled back for air after a few moments, foreheads resting together as they breathed. 

“Not that I’m complaining,” Nicole panted, “But what are you doing?”

“I needed to talk to you,” Waverly said playing with the fine hairs at the base of Nicole’s neck.

“I’m sorry,” they said in unison. They chuckled and Waverly licked her lips.

“I’ll go first,” she said, unable to resist pecking Nicole’s lips once more, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry you felt like I rubbed winning in your face. I really am. That’s why I’m going to lose. On purpose. I’ll lose a thousand times over if it means we can be together.”

Nicole shook her head and placed a soft kiss at the corner of Waverly’s mouth. “Waves, no. I’m sorry. I was stubborn and stupid. My pride was hurt and it was-...I didn’t react in the right way at all. I don’t want you to lose on purpose. I want you to beat me fair and square.”

Waverly smiled, “Fair and square?”

Nicole nodded. “I’m going to give you a run for your money though. I’ve been practicing extra hard.”

Waverly laughed and kissed Nicole hard, sighing against her lips. She shook her head and pulled back just enough to speak. “I can be told I have to shoot a fly of my sister’s head and not get nervous, but three seconds around you and I’m shaking like a leaf.”

The red head kissed each corner of Waverly’s mouth reverently, dropping a final kiss on the tip of her nose. “Babe, you make me feel more than winning every shooting competition in the world.”

They kissed again, bodies pressed together and hands gripping each other like it would be the worst thing if they let go.

“Five min-, goddamn it, Nicole,” Nedley said turning his back to them as soon as he walked up to them kissing, “You got five minutes. Can you collect yourself, please?”

They pulled away and Nicole smiled sheepishly over at the man. “Sorry, Nedley,” she said before placing a series of soft kisses on Waverly’s lips. She let her go and Waverly sighed as she picked up the hat and adjusted it back on her head. “I’ll see you out there then?”

Waverly nodded and couldn’t resist kissing Nicole once more before running back to her seat. Wynonna looked unamused but Curtis just gave her a knowing smile as she sat down. The beginning of the show was the same as the last, but Waverly clapped through the entire thing. She actually felt herself swoon a little when Nicole looked over and winked at her from her horse.

She barely heard when the announcer called her up for the competition she was so excited. She took her rifle and walked to the center like she did last time. Nicole shook her hand and winked at her.

“Good luck, Little Sure Shot,” Nicole said with a smile.

“Back at ya,” Waverly said returning the wink before they got in position. It was the same format as last time, shooting at clay pigeons in increasing numbers until someone missed. They were up to six clay pigeons at once. Waverly hit every target and held her breath as Nicole went next. She missed the last one and set her gun down. Nicole rook a breath before turning to Waverly, smile wide.

“Congrats,” Nicole said, almost drowned out by the crowd. Waverly smiled back and Nicole walked over to her. She scooped her up in her arms and twirled her. Waverly let her rifle fall to the ground and kissed Nicole square on the mouth.

“Waves,” Nicole said as Wynonna and Curtis began to walk up to them, “will you be my girlfriend?”

Waverly just nodded and kissed her again.


End file.
